Discovering angels
by 666ways2love
Summary: Harry's last battle with Voldemort.


**Discovering angels **

Harry was running among the graves as fast as he could. A familiar sense of déjà vu filled his mind. Just like three years ago, only now this felt more real. Now the preservation of his own life wasn't the only burden, now he had to save the entire world. And the graves were so different. The graves were of his ancestors, who lived here, in Godric's Hollow, for generations. He would've really liked to walk around all these monuments and tomb stones and crypts, examine them, trying to trace back his Potter family, just to find out how far back they went… but right now he was too busy escaping the all-too-soon reunion with them.

He was running away, fear and exhaustion pounding in his chest. He ducked behind a large monument of an angel. The angel's wings were spread behind him, forming some kind of a roof, which Harry was extremely thankful for. The night was dark, especially here, away from muggle lights and civilization. The only guidance of any kind were the twinkling stars and the full moon. Harry breathed in deeply and let the air out as quietly as he could. He shivered. It was way too quite. The night could've been so warm and glorious. He'd give anything now to be at the Burrow, playing Exploding Snaps or Wizard's Chess outside with Ron and Hermione and Ginny. Oh, how he missed her, missed all of them. He peered carefully at the sky. To think of it, he didn't even say a proper goodbye to them, and it could be his last night on this planet. He had just frantically yelled at them to appearate and get help from the Order, get someone! The Deatheaters had been circling them and he could feel Voldemort nearing. Ron had to drag Hermione away, but she has managed to shove something triangular, thin and hard, wrapped in a piece of rag into his hand. Even now he had no idea what it was.

At least they have been searching together for the Horcruxes, while other 7th year Hogwarts students made their way through their last year and battled O.W.L. s, instead of dark wizards. It's been a long hard journey, but Harry has never regretted a second of it. They had been together and as close as ever. And now he came back right to where they've started. Godric's Hollow. With all Horcruxes destroyed, Harry felt a bit better facing Voldemort… but not quite so without his friends, who have been there through out the entire Horcrux quest. But now he didn't want to endanger them, no. It was his battle, and he'd have to stand alone.

He clutched his wand and prepared for whatever waited ahead.

KA-BOOM.

Harry jumped, almost hitting the pedestal with his head. Rain poured all around him, but the angel's wings guarded him from the downpour. Once again he felt a rush of gratitude to who ever this grave belonged to. He was about to come out from under the monument and seek for Voldemort, if the Dark Lord didn't want to find Harry himself, when his scar gave a throb of burning pain. He felt anger, and delight at the same time. He knew both emotions didn't belong to him.

"Come out, little Potter. There, there, those big people in dark robes are gone", a hissing voice did an imitation of cooing, which send violent shivers down Harry's back, "Now it's just me and YOU!"

Emphasizing the last word, a tomb stone only two meters away from his hiding place shattered to pieces. Harry drew in a sharp breath… but it wasn't fear. How dare he come and disturb my family? HOW DARE HE? He clutched the triangle Hermione gave him, still having no idea what it was, but feeling like this something gave him power and reassurance.

Voldemort laughed cruelly and coldly, "I dare to do anything and I highly doubt you'll stop me. And speaking of dares, you don't even dare to come out and face me!" That horrible laughter, which filled Harry's worst nightmares about his parents dying, rang in his ears like a fat-bellied tower bell, mixing with the sound of thunder.

Harry edged slowly to the side, turning his head so he could at least have a picture of Voldemort's whereabouts. The dark wizard was looking strait at him, as if he knew which side the boy was supposed to come from. His snake-like face was stretched in a mask of horrid joy, and he waved at Harry with his long colourless finger.

"How nice of you to join me at our tea-party, Mr. Potter. Too bad it's raining", he let out a howl of laughter as if it was the funnies thing in the world. This made Harry's knees buckle, and at the same time he clutched harder at the rag-wrapped piece. He straitened and brushed his fears away. This was no time to be afraid. This was time to fight.

Suddenly through the sound of pouring and thunder, he heard feet running… no, he rather felt it. And there were voices, swallowed by thunder, but in a pause he could hear a familiar voice shouting his name. Voldemort have heard that as well. Harry read a momentary uncertainty in his slit pupils, but it was obscured by mockery again.

"Oh, I see we've got a jolly little company, all eager for a cup of tea. But we've got precious little, so we aren't going to wait for them!" He snarled, and the next thing Harry knew was that a spell swept him off his feet and hurled him into the stone angel. Harry hit it hard, but he wasn't about to be defeated on his knees! He grabbed the pedestal for support and glanced at the angel's face. Maybe it was the rain or an optical illusion, but the boy could've sworn that the angel was crying, his arms clasped together gently in a silent prayer for him, Harry.

"Praying, Potter?" Voldemort hissed with amusement, "A good choice, since you've got no other! Crucio! Crucio! CRUCIO!" Voldemort was shrieking with insane laughter, hurling curse after curse at Harry's helpless twitching form.

Yes, Harry's been expecting it from Voldemort, but it didn't mean he was ready for the amount of pain it caused. The triangle he's been clutching flew from his left arm that jerked violently with the pain of hot unseen knives sinking into him. The rag unwrapped itself from the object and Harry noticed it gleam twenty meters to his left in a surge of lightening like a… like a reflection?

It hurt too much to bother about it now. After what seemed like an eternity, the pain subdued into dull throbbing. Fear leaped in his heart again. He knew someone was approaching from his left at a rapid pace. This someone was with the Order but the person was way ahead of them. Harry twisted himself into kneeling position with all the strength he had. Voldemort turned to the person running towards them. After a couple of second Harry distinguished a frail silhouette.

"HERMIONE! NO! GO BACK! LEAVE!" He shouted as loud as he could and leaped to his feet, searching for his wand. It was a meter away. He grabbed it and straitened to see his best friend picking up the gleaming piece. Hermione turned to him, as if Voldemort wasn't there, but Harry knew that she was very aware of him. There was plain fear on her pale face as she tossed the piece to him as hard as she could. Harry wondered what was so important about it, worth risking your life for. How could Hermione be so careless? Horror gripped his heart, as he caught the piece in his hand.

"Harry! This piece is from the Mirror of Erised! Use it, Harry, you know how, just wish for-" Bright green light caught her in mid-sentence and her body dropped lifelessly on the soaked muddy ground.

"HERMIONE! NO!"

"Thought your girlfriend could help you, Potter?" Voldemort was angry now. There was no mockery, but Harry could see something else in that face… was that fear? "Play time is over!"

Harry could feel anger boil inside him, and this time it was his own. He glanced at Hermione's unanimated corpse and thrust his left arm holding the mirror out. Everything seemed to slow down. Even the rain fall seemed to turn lazily and sluggish. Harry could see Voldemort's mouth moving in the corner of his eye, but it was so slow…

He looked into the mirror, the way he did it being a first year, facing Voldemort for the first time he remembered. The same impenetrable concentration enveloped him. He saw his reflection with a fiercely determined expression on its face as it raised its wand. Harry felt sure, as he mimicked the movement and shouted the words out with all the emotion of hatred, bitterness, love, loss and sadness that he bottled up inside himself for all these years, saving it up to destroy the Dark Lord.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

His fading shriek mixed with a loud roll of thunder as his body fell down with a thud. The remains of his deformed body turned to ashes, which the last rain mixed with soil. Voldemort was gone.

Harry sunk to his knees and raised his eyes to the rapidly clearing heavens. The stars winked at him, the full moon glowed with happiness. The angel was smiling.

The last thing Harry Potter noticed before passing out at the foot of the angel monument, which sheltered him while he mastered his courage, were the engravings on the pedestal:

**James and Lily Potter**

**Parents to their beloved child, Harry**

**_We are watching over you, dear_**


End file.
